


Counting the Stars

by midnightwaterlily33



Series: Souharu Week 2015 [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Prompt: Numbers & Space, SouHaru Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 23:51:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5352989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightwaterlily33/pseuds/midnightwaterlily33
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sousuke takes Haru stargazing when he knows he's upset.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Counting the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Souharu Week 2015, Day 2
> 
> Prompt: Numbers & Space

6,455 steps. 3,900 seconds. 780 breaths. 63 swallows. 11 text messages. And 2 ashamed sobs.

And somehow Haru has ended up here.

He keeps his hand poised just a centimeter away from the door, and it trembles.

He panics because he can hear voices on the other side.

He feels so stupid. He wasn’t thinking. Of course Sousuke has a life, of course it makes sense that he’s busy with something. It seems like he has company, and he certainly doesn’t need Haru adding to it by inviting himself in.

There’s a short, sharp laugh, dangerously close to the door, and then the handle jiggles. Haru bolts.

He runs 36 steps and behind a wall around the corner across the hall in the other unit. He peeks back as he hears the door slam shut. Rin saunters down the hall, and turns for the stairs, and then he’s out of sight.

Rin. It was only Rin. Haru isn’t entirely sure why he was getting nervous that it could be anybody else.

Haru breathes slowly, counting and coaching himself until he’s sure he can walk calmly. 49 slow steps, and he’s back in front of that door. He knocks before he’s really decided what it is he even wants.

“Alright, what the hell did you forget?” Sousuke’s voice says teasingly, presumably for Rin, but he freezes solid in the doorway when he looks to Haru. “Nanase?”

“Hey,” Haru whispers. There’s an unspoken _are you busy?_

It’s echoed by a silent, _come in._ Sousuke steps aside and opens up his door. He doesn’t get the chance to speak before the raven haired swimmer has kicked his shoes off and moved to effectively bury himself face down in Sousuke’s couch. He counts his breaths and heartbeats at the same time. Makoto used to tell him that was impressive.  

Sousuke leaves him there for a while because he somehow just knows. It’s strange, very strange the way they’ve grown and changed together. Sousuke can read Haru’s silences as well as Makoto. Maybe better.

36 breaths, 300 heartbeats later, and a large, warm hand falls down on the small of Haru’s back. It begins to rub gently up and down, coaxing until Haru slowly unfolds from inside himself. When he sits up, he sees warm turquoise eyes, and a tray with tea and toast.

“How many breaths has it been since you left home?” Sousuke asks quietly, only smirking a little.

“871,” Haruka replies. He watches Sousuke make faces as he does the math.

“You’ve been out a while,” the brunette comments. “It’s late, you know.”

Haru ignores him, but asks, “How did you know I’ve been keeping track?”

“You always do when you’re upset.”

“I’m not…”

“Save it, Nanase.”

Silence settles over them. Sousuke leans back into the cushions, scooting close to Haruka just so their legs are touching, Sousuke’s warmth seeping to Haru’s cold body. Haruka sips the tea and counts the breaths, and suppresses another bout of soft sobs.

“Alright, let’s go.” Sousuke breaks the silence with the declaration, and then he stands and immediately goes to grab his coat and shoes.

“Go?” Haru questions. “Where?”

_You know where,_ Sousuke says with his eyes.

 

Haruka reminds Sousuke of space. His eyes, and how they swirl like twinkling stars and glowing clouds of galaxies. His hair, as dark as the night sky. His vast mysteriousness and wonder, his unpredictability. He swears that when Haru shines, he is brighter than any star. And when he implodes, it’s always a supernova. Violent, dark, and terrifying, but so very full of beauty and wonder.

He knows it’s true when he turns his head to see Haruka, laid down under the expansive starry sky. There are galaxies churning in his bright blue eyes.

Sousuke pulls the blanket up around them tighter. For once, Haruka’s not counting the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> This is late af, and I'm very sorry. But here's my contribution to this week celebrating my cutest OTP :)


End file.
